1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to providing increased versatility for a tablet personal computing device and, more particularly, to a multiple-position docking station that allows a user to use a tablet personal computing device in a different mode of operation depending on its position in the docking station.
2. Background of the Related Art
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art which may be related to various aspects of the present invention which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Since the introduction of the first personal computer (“PC”) over 20 years ago, technological advances to make PCs more useful have continued at an amazing rate. Microprocessors that control PCs have become faster and faster, with operational speeds eclipsing the gigahertz (one billion operations per second) and continuing well beyond.
Productivity has also increased tremendously because of the explosion in development of software applications. In the early days of the PC, people who could write their own programs were practically the only ones who could make productive use of their computers. Today, there are thousands and thousands of software applications ranging from games to word processors and from voice recognition to web browsers.
In addition to becoming more powerful, computers have also become more mobile than ever before over the past few years. Notebook or laptop PCs have been steadily increasing in power while their cases (or footprint) continue to get lighter and more portable.
Notebook or laptop PCs may typically be connected to a device known as a docking station, which provides a connection to external devices that are too bulky to be readily transported along with the notebook PC. For example, a user may take a notebook computer on a business trip or to a meeting and use it to record information. The user may then return to his/her office and connect the notebook PC to a docking station, which may be connected to a larger display device for easier viewing. In addition, the docking station may support connectivity to other types of devices such as a printer, keyboard or mouse. In this manner, the user may obtain the benefits of portability offered by a notebook PC while taking advantage of the typically more spacious and comfortable facilities offered by a classical non-portable computer workstation.
Another innovation in recent years has been the handheld PC. These ultra-small PCs have revolutionized productivity because they are highly mobile and provide such functions as wireless email connectivity and even internet browsing. Many handheld PCs are operated or controlled by a stylus or pen instead of a keyboard. Handheld PCs do not typically utilize a docking station, but they may exchange data or synchronize with larger, more powerful PCs. Using this feature, a user may take a handheld PC on a business trip or to a meeting and later return and synchronize the new data in the handheld PC with the user's larger, more powerful desktop or notebook computer.
In spite of these benefits, handheld PCs are not generally as powerful as their full-function desktop or notebook counterparts. Design considerations such as overall size, weight and heat dissipation prevent the use of the most powerful components (microprocessors, for example) in handheld PCs. These same design considerations prevent the use of large amounts of computer memory and other types of storage such as disk drives.
The tablet PC is an emerging type of personal computing device that is designed to incorporate the power of traditional desktop or notebook computers while offering many of the portability and simplicity features available in handheld PCs. For example, tablet PCs may incorporate an x86 compatible processor and a full-function operating system such as Windows XP Professional, which is available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. In addition, tablet PCs may incorporate advanced video graphics capabilities and large hard drive storage capacity. Tablet PCs may additionally incorporate these powerful features while providing the user with the natural simplicity of a pen- or stylus-based interface, such as the interface typically found on a handheld PC. The combination of power and simplicity afforded by tablet PCs will allow support of handwriting recognition, which will make it possible for users to take handwritten notes, create drawings or annotate documents then wirelessly share the information with others.
The combination of features potentially available in a tablet PC may facilitate a number of different operational modes. For example, a user may take advantage of the sophisticated graphical capabilities of the tablet PC by using the display of the tablet PC as a normal computer display or as a companion display in conjunction with a desktop monitor. In other circumstances, the user may use the pen-based capabilities of the tablet PC to perform tasks such as keeping notes in a meeting or performing handwriting recognition. A docking station that allows users to take full advantage of the benefits provided by a tablet PC device is desirable.